Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Roars Onto the Nintendo Switch This Month

If you owned a Nintendo 64 around 22 years ago, chances are you’ve played or owned a copy of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. The significance of Turok, aside from its high praise and critical acclaim back in 1997, was its popularity on the classic Nintendo console when it was released. The 3D, FPS adventure pushed the hardware back then to its limits, as the dinosaur-based shooter implemented elements of other well-known franchises back in the day such as Doom and Tomb Raider. Now, in 2019, and on one of Nintendo’s best consoles to date, Turok is making a grand return to the platform. As reported by Nintendo Wire, a listing on the Nintendo eShop has Turok set for a March 18, 2019 release date.

The FPS classic was eventually remastered for modern times by Night Dive Studios for the Xbox One and PC, though admittedly there will always be a charm to playing the original on clunky, barely-ergonomic N64 controllers. Those worried about the title losing its original luster will be happy to know that while the game has been improved upon and painted with better graphics, it is by no means a complete remake. As such, the blocky, polygonal 3D figures are still the same, albeit with more aesthetically pleasing textures and resolution.

The Turok franchise went on to spawn five other spinoffs and sequels after its initial success in the late 90s, with the most recent on being a spiritual reboot in 2008. The original game’s release on the ubiquitous Nintendo Switch will allow veteran gamers a taste of nostalgia, while allowing newcomers to experience one of Nintendo’s earliest household names, alongside other N64-era titans such as Banjo Kazooie, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask, and the Pokemon Stadium series, among others.